As soon as LaChrystal Ricke laid her eyes on a picture of a dog snoozing on a grubby armchair outside, she felt an immediate urge to rescue him. Without hesitation, she decided to go and get the dog herself.
According to Ricke, who is the founder and director of Reggie’s Friends, an animal rescue group in Houston, Texas, he found the skinny dog in a less-than-ideal area of town. After seeing a post about the dog being spotted at a gas station, he decided to rescue the dog because he felt that it was not safe for the dog to be there.
After sunset, Ricke reached the gas station hoping to find Aniken, the dog she rescued. To her dismay, she couldn’t locate him and decided to seek assistance from Facebook. In a post, she requested the group members to join her search as she was unable to trace Aniken. Ricke mentioned leaving the pooch alone for the night, assuming he had found a secure place to rest. The next day, two volunteers returned to the same area to help locate the missing dog.
According to Ricke, they began searching for Aniken by asking around and knocking on doors, but unfortunately, no one had seen him. However, a street dog named Tessa caught their attention and led them to a small shack in the back of the area where people had dumped various types of garbage. To their surprise, Aniken was found lying on a seat that was captured in the images. Ricke then brought both Aniken and Tessa back to the gas station, initially assuming that Aniken was just a skinny and underfed street dog. However, as they dug deeper, they realized that the situation was much more serious than they anticipated.
Upon our arrival at home, our furry companion began to emerge from his crate, and we noticed some significant infected wounds that were oozing and clearly had not yet healed. My partner and I immediately recognized the gravity of the situation and decided to take him straight to the emergency veterinarian for treatment.
Aniken was struggling with more than just infected wounds, as he also had huge ticks all over his body and was suffering from chronic malnutrition which had affected his organs. The team of veterinarians at BluePearl Emergency Pet Hospital were alarmed by another issue that they had noticed. According to Ricke, one of the vets had told her that Aniken’s condition was severe and one of the worst cases they had ever seen. They strongly suspected that Aniken might have been used as a bait dog. A bait dog is an animal that is used as a target for fighting dogs in training. The bait dog is encouraged to fight back while being attacked by fighting dogs. Initially, Ricke was skeptical about this theory.
When she first saw the dog, she didn’t immediately consider him a bait dog. She avoids using the term too often because she thinks many people misuse it when describing an abused dog. At first glance, she thought the scratches on his face were from living on the streets. However, when they showed her the inside of his mouth, she realized he was a bait dog. All of his teeth had been removed and his canines had been filed down, indicating that he was unable to fight back.
Ricke had a moment of realization when she noticed additional indications that Aniken had been used as a bait dog. She observed that his wounds were weeping and had been crudely sewn up, implying that someone had done it manually. When she added up all the scars on his face, everything began to fall into place, and she arrived at a terrible conclusion – Aniken was a bait dog, and his life had been one of abject misery. The purpose was to ensure that he didn’t survive, which is a terrifying thought.
When Aniken had to spend some time at the emergency vet, a kind nurse went out of her way to make him feel better by gifting him a plush elephant toy. The staff at BluePearl deeply cared for Aniken’s condition and well-being, and the critical care nurse felt that he deserved some love and comfort. Even though Aniken was initially unsure about his new toy, he eventually grew fond of it and cherished it during his stay.
According to Ricke, it was most likely Aniken’s first blanket, and it provided him with much-needed comfort. The kind gesture of the stranger who brought it was truly remarkable. With his condition stabilized, Aniken was sent to a primary vet for further treatment before being placed in a foster home where he will recuperate until he is entirely healed.
According to Ricke, he is a reserved person and it will require some time for him to open up and realize that there are individuals who deeply care and love him. Furthermore, he needs to understand that no one intends to harm him, and he can always count on having access to food, blankets, sweaters, and stuffies. Ricke believes that the abuse this individual has suffered is extensive, impacting his emotional, physical, and mental well-being. However, he feels fortunate that they have crossed paths and can assist him in overcoming these challenges.
According to Ricke, Aniken’s condition is getting better, particularly since he’s been placed in a foster home. He’s gradually putting on weight and enjoying his current living situation, where he shares space with two other dogs and enjoys lounging on the couch with his foster parent.
